SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. - A six page federal lawsuit filed by former Robertson County Schools’ employee James Taylor may read "the Board of Education" as the defendant, but the name repeated on nearly every page was Mike Davis, the director of schools.
"When this new director came on board it became very evident to Mr. Taylor that this gentleman wanted him gone," Taylor's attorney, Andy Allman said.
"I'm not a confrontational individual, so I'm getting…there are some problems with this, yes," Taylor said.
Taylor began working for Robertson County Schools as the maintenance supervisor in 2002, a position he held until he said he was wrongfully fired in June 2014, about a year after Davis joined the district. In that last year he claimed he underwent harassment and age discrimination.
"Verbally abuse Mr. Taylor by yelling and calling him a liar on multiple occasions," Allman explained. "Just to embarrass him and humiliate him, to make the work environment so toxic that Mr. Taylor would want to leave."
The lawsuit listed several examples of wrongdoing Taylor claimed Davis put him through. NewsChannel 5 reached out to Robertson County Schools and received this statement, "the director cannot respond to inquiries on any pending litigation per board policy and instruction of counsel."
"Mr. Taylor has worked there a lot of years, he's a lifelong resident of Robertson County," said Allman.
Taylor has been asking for a trial in hopes of getting back some of what he lost.
"Compensatory damages that include lost wages, lost income, market value of his lost benefits plan, maybe even reinstatement to his job," Allman said.
A former handy man, Taylor has now spent most of his time at home.
"I have a farm and I do a lot of things around there, and that's about the extent of what I do," said Taylor.
Taylor's income was $70,000 a year when he left. The Robertson County Board of Education has about 30 days to respond.
